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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. last — finally
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. last — final
  6. key — in music
  7. field — a subject
  8. stem — to come from
  9. last — to go on
  10. craft — a skill
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. key — the most important part
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rest — what's left
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rock — music
  20. craft — boats
  21. track — a path
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com